A group of supporters of Bijapur District Minister SK Bellubbi brought the ‘Ghazal Goshti’ to an abrupt end on Saturday evening.
Ghazal Goshti, a special session of singing ghazals and the first of its kind to be organised in a Kannada Sahitya Sammelana, started two hours late at 7.30 pm. Four to five persons approached the organisers and asked them to stop the session as the Minister and his troupe wanted to sing ‘Hanti Padas’ (folk songs).
However, Ghazal Gosthi president Kashinath Ambalage refused to stop the ongoing programme and said that the Minister can sing only after the Ghazal Goshti was over.
More supporters of the Minister stormed the stage to force closure of the Goshti. Bijapur ZP CEO Jambunath Gutti tried to convince the organisers to allow the Minister’s troupe to present its programme first and later continue the ghazal session. However, the poets made it clear that what Ambalage said was final.
Meanwhile, seeing the developments on the stage, Bellubbi left the venue. His supporters refused to allow the singers to present the ghazals of Ambalage. A person announced that the Ghazal Goshti was over.
Next Sammelana at Madikeri
Kannada Sahitya Parishat will hold its next literary meet at Madikeri in Kodagu district. Parishat president Pundalik Halambi said that the state executive committee is unanimous on holding the next Sammelana in Madikeri, he said.